# What, in your mind, was the strangest thing your grandparents watched on TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2015, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162 "2015-11-21T03:44:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/21 "2015-11-21T15:14:04Z")
My grandmother (1889-1984) was a devotee of Lawrence Welk, Merv Griffin, Walter Cronkite, Ed Sullivan, Smothers Brothers, Art Linkletter House Party, various game shows while ironing. She watched Laugh-In once and hated it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/22 "2015-11-21T15:35:48Z")
My grandparents didn’t watch much TV, but I do remember my grandfather hooking up a switch to the speaker that he could turn off during commercials\*. This was before remote controls. He also had the first remote I’d ever seen. It worked by making musical tones – one changed the channel up, the other down. A third turned things off. [Here’s a demo.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOlBAH3Auis) \*It wasn’t that hard; I remember an Al Jaffee article in Mad Magazine that explained how to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/23 "2015-11-21T15:42:57Z")
My paternal parents never had television in the late 60s. My maternal grandmother did and the most compelling viewing was the BBC documentary - The Great War. 1914-1918. Her husband and my grandfather endured mustard gas at the Somme. He never really recovered. He came home 12,000 miles to NZ and quietly farmed as did many others. Until one day in 1960 when his body quietly gave up its life. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/24 "2015-11-21T15:44:36Z")
My grandmother says she never watches TV, and yet she has the magical ability to describe what happened on Dr. Phil yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/25 "2015-11-21T15:52:36Z")
Both of my grandmothers loved (and one still loves) those mega church shows that were part sermon and part donation drive. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/26 "2015-11-21T15:53:18Z")
My maternal grandmother was a lovely, charming, quiet lady, who watched soaps in the afternoon while she knitted. I remember “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital”. It was the weirdest thing. Only slasher films would’ve been more out of character. My paternal grandmother would watch the holy rosary show. That always struck me as weird, just watching people on tv say the rosary while standing in a field. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/27 "2015-11-21T16:25:12Z")
My grandma didn’t much look at TV (her way of putting it). But she did used to like looking at Bonanza. “And that other show that had Little Joe in it… Him and that little girl with pigtails.” ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/28 "2015-11-21T16:52:20Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > My mother’s parents loved the soap “As the World Turns” Everyone in the family knew we shouldn’t call them on the phone during the time it was on, they wouldn’t answer. And my grandfather didn’t watch much TV but that show was a must. I couldn’t figure it out, he didn’t seem the type to get into that stuff. My grandmother was a god-fearing Southern Baptist from Texas and yet she loved **ATWT**. Just hearing the theme song takes me back to being in her house. My grandfather also loved **Sanford and Son** , which was weird since he was kinda racist, but he found Redd Foxx utterly hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/29 "2015-11-21T22:27:34Z")
Well, for one thing, one set of grandparents didn’t believe in TV, so nothing there. I recall watching the westerns of the era at the other grandparent’s house. _Sugerfoot_, _Maverick_ and all that. So I guess my grandfather liked those. Later, I only recall my grandmother on her own watching _Lawrence Welk_. TV would be off all day, she’d turn it on for _Welk_, then off for the night. Not really strange there. Just typical grandma stuff. Except, for her, Lawrence Welk was personal. She grew up in the heart of Welk country. She even saw him play once at [The Corn Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_Palace). OTOH, she complained about The Lennon Sisters wearing “scandalous” dresses. They were showing too much cleavage (but she wouldn’t have said the “c” word). Scandalous on _Welk_? Right. This contrasts with my mother, now in grandmother mode, who leaves the TV on the entire time she’s up with the volume cranked up. And she has terrible tastes. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/30 "2015-11-21T22:37:31Z")
Aside from one grandmother watching Edge of Night every day I don’t know what any of them may have watched on TV. Both my grandfathers passed away in the 50s so there couldn’t have been all that much TV that they watched. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/31 "2015-11-21T23:08:08Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > My grandparents did not have a TV. But they had electricity. Hah. Mine, too. They had a radio, but I don’t know what they listen to. I visit to grandma’s, as a kid, meant no TV. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/32 "2015-11-21T23:35:57Z")
> [@Donegal\_Dragon](#): > > My great grandmother was addicted to wrestling on tv. For her 100th birthday,my grandfather arranged for Andre the Giant to come to her apartment in St Louis. She giggled like a little girl. It was wonderful. Oh that is a sweet story! _Sniff_ It’s kind of the answer to what to do for a person when they don’t need much “stuff” When my grandmother turned 100 I had 100 roses delivered to the family birthday party at the nursing home. She enjoyed them, and as I knew she would she enjoyed giving them away even more. For her 105th birthday I had a harp player do a short winter/Christmas concert for her and the other residents at the home. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/33 "2015-11-21T23:37:29Z")
I can’t tell you what my grandparents watched, but my mother was a fan of televised horse racing. My wife’s grandmother, an immigrant who spoke very little English, loved [American Bandstand](http://www.museum.tv/eotv/americanband.htm). ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/34 "2015-11-22T00:22:32Z")
My Maternal Grandmother loved Hockey (she was Canadian). ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/35 "2015-11-22T02:46:44Z")
I only knew one grandparent she a Russian immigrant , my dad’s mom and was born in the 1800’s . I never saw grandma watch TV but she did call our house when she couldn’t fix her TV antenna . I am missing her now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/36 "2015-11-22T02:58:30Z")
My grandfather liked to watch the Price is Right, but I had to convince him that the contestants really got to keep the prizes. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/37 "2015-11-22T03:30:16Z")
Jeopardy! Is appointment viewing for my grandparents. Well, was, for grandpa who died. Not too weird but they have been completely removed from pop culture their entire lives. Grandpa was brought up religious then became Mennonite and grandma was brought up legit Amish and became Mennonite too. They lived in Amish country, didn’t have cable or go to movies and I’m sure didn’t read any books besides Christian books and probably classics. Grandma is a smart lady so I’m sure she rocks history and politics but I feel like 2/3 of the questions went over their heads. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/38 "2015-11-22T03:43:20Z")
Never met my grandparents due to my parents being in their 40s when I was born. I have fond memories of watching reruns of Match Game and Laugh-In with Mom. Dad didn’t miss an episode of Benny Hill; Mom would roll her eyes and walk out. ---
**Author:** ![Clarisse\_McClellan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Clarisse\_McClellan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clarisse_McClellan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/39 "2015-11-22T04:18:49Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > My grandma didn’t much look at TV (her way of putting it). But she did used to like looking at Bonanza. “And that other show that had Little Joe in it… Him and that little girl with pigtails.” My grandmother, in her 80’s, loved looking at Bonanza as well but it was because she liked ‘that handsome Lorne Greene.’ The only other thing I remember her watching was Billy Graham specials. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162/40 "2015-11-22T04:36:17Z")
Hee Haw. And Kate Smith, singing God Bless America. [Grandma (my great grandmother) was born in 1903, and helped raise me (born 1962).] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-in-your-mind-was-the-strangest-thing-your-grandparents-watched-on-tv/738162.md?page=3)